As Roy spoke, Yushiro immediately reacted like a cat whose fur had been electrified, instantaneously triggered!
As expected, he was a demon hunter who hated evil!
Yushiro, although unwilling to admit it, knew that he and Tamayo had survived for nearly a hundred years solely because of the demon blood bestowed by Muzan... Now Roy was demanding demon blood, which was tantamount to asking for their lives!
Emotions fluctuated, turning from calm blue to surging red... Roy smiled at Tamayo, not waiting for Yushiro to burst, as flesh sprouts formed at the severed arm and reattached it; his mere eyesight and aura captured Yushiro's anger and Tamayo's struggle....
"Ladies,"
"I think you've misunderstood," Roy sipped the tea that Tamayo had poured and smiled lightly, "I only need one ladle from three thousand demon blood, as for you,"
The young man earnestly raised a finger: "One drop is enough."
One drop? Yushiro subtly glanced at Tamayo; the woman, once a housewife, her bun pinned her black hair high, extremely gentle in appearance, perhaps only in the original... until her death seeking revenge on Muzan, sacrificing herself to inject medicine into him, did she reveal a hint of ferocity, silently nodded after a long while: "Alright."
Roy glanced at her unexpectedly; the woman's quick and determined consent surprised him somewhat.
Perhaps noticing Roy's gaze, Tamayo, who had lived for centuries following Muzan, explained proactively: "You must pardon my boldness, Lord Eiichiro,"
Tamayo knelt before Roy, gently lifting her hand to refill his tea: "The Demon Slayer Corps has changed... those Hashira have changed as well... I can feel it, that person is... afraid...."
In the woman's eyes, a blend of hatred and pleasure intertwined, she deeply looked at Roy and said, "Even though I am but a mere woman, I'm not entirely sure what's happened, but taking into account several Demon Slayer Corps actions... Lord Eiichiro, your presence... has broken the unfavorable situation of the Corps being suppressed by the evil ghosts for nearly a thousand years."
That person? Roy neither admitted nor denied it, quietly watching Tamayo and Yushiro: "It seems that even if you rid yourselves of Kibutsuji Muzan's control, you still can't freely mention his name."
Being named would be sensed... imagining would be sensed... seeing also would be sensed... as long as one is an evil ghost, all thoughts and memories, if Muzan desires, can be reviewed at any time; thus, Tamayo and Yushiro's so-called "escape" was merely temporarily dodging Muzan's "active probing," to truly say Muzan's name, at once... would be located, sensed... this must be the powerful talent named "Absolute Domination" that he saw on Muzan!
What is "Absolute Domination"?
A superior over an inferior... a god over a bishop, over a believer... also the perfect embodiment of "I'd rather betray Heaven than let Heaven betray me!"
"He's cunning; we've been constantly searching for him." Yushiro had been observing the Demon Slayer Corps' recent sweep action, admired the strength of the Hashira, and wished several times to cooperate with the Corps to help Tamayo... but hindered by his "ghost" identity and fear of the "Hashira," it had never come to fruition, now...
The blue-haired young man pulled his collar down, revealing his chest, honestly said to Roy: "You're correct, take mine."
Roy glanced at Tamayo, who expressed hesitation and struggle, softly calling Yushiro's name, reminiscent of a scene from the original work, exchanging vows before the showdown with Muzan, promising to be united as a couple in the next life... feelings deeply rooted, beginning to sprout.....
"Gurururu..." Roy watched everything unfold, downed the tea in his cup in one gulp, the sweetness... overly sweet... sickeningly sweet... sweetly pervasive with a sour stench......
"I promised to take only one drop, I won't break my word." The sword glimmered with a "swish," the Eclipse unsheathed, without seeing any movement, Yushiro only felt a slight chill at his heart, returned to his senses, and together with Tamayo, looked... from the sword tip a drop of foul-smelling black blood moaned as it was restricted by the Eclipse, held fast on the blade!
'Is...that it?'
'I couldn't even see his move at all!'
Yushiro and Tamayo exchanged a glance, bewildered... the former felt his heart, no visible wound at all, the latter, upon returning to her senses, stared intently at that drop of "black blood," seemingly transported back to the chaotic night when Muzan's demonic words led her to devour her husband and child.
Tamayo bowed her head, her chest heaved, breathing becoming increasingly rapid....
She couldn't forget her child, her husband, her bloodstained face in moonlight, her back warmed as she leaned into Yushiro's embrace, glanced again, looking toward Roy....
The young man extended his hand, retrieved the drop of demon blood into a pouch, and immediately activated the "Targeted Tracking Technique," leveraging the link from this thread of demon blood, he discovered the causal line connecting him and Muzan, peering along... at the end of the causal line, gradually revealed was a scroll... frowning deeply in the scroll, wearing black kimono, a man masquerading as a woman, applying geisha makeup, bored, propping his chin listening to Nakime play the koto, thus....
Escaping unease, dispelling boredom, at a certain moment, sparked a shiver, he suddenly turned back, catching sight of fiery red hair swaying... he heard him say: "Found you."
Kibutsuji Muzan was shocked, the chair under him snapped with a "crack," he fell awkwardly to the ground.